Since 1867
Official Languages in Canada
Displaying 1 - 42 of 42 result(s)
1891
The Supreme Court of Canada renders its first decision about the equal authority of the English and French versions of legislation
Faced with a question on the interpretation of sections of the Civil Code of Quebec, the Supreme Court of Canada stated that both the English and French versions of the text are of equal authority.
1935
The Supreme Court of Canada extends the scope of the equal authenticity rule for legislative texts to federal legislation
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the English and French versions of federal laws and statutes are equally authoritative.
1974
Moncton Mayor Leonard Jones challenges the validity of New Brunswick’s Official Languages Act
He asks the Supreme Court of Canada to render a decision on the authority of Parliament and the Government of New Brunswick to pass language legislation.
1976
The Gens de l’air crisis erupts in Quebec
In the early 1970s, the expansion of the air transport industry and the arrival of a growing number of Francophones among its ranks lead to the idea that air communications could take place in French.
1979
In the Blaikie case, the provisions of the Charter of the French Language that make French the only language of legislation are challenged
The Supreme Court of Canada decides that these provisions violate section 133 of the Constitution Act, 1867.
1979
In the Forest case, the Supreme Court of Canada rules that Manitoba’s Official Language Act is unconstitutional
This act declared English to be the only language of the registers and minutes of the legislature, courts and statutes of the province of Manitoba.
1984
The Ontario Court of Appeal rules that proposed restrictions on minority language education and minority language school boards are unconstitutional
In response to four questions referred by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that the proposed amendments to the Education Act—which would place restrictions on the beneficiaries of rights under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, give school boards greater discretion in determining whether to provide French-language schools and instruction, restrict the section 23 “where numbers warrant” test and impose territorial limitations on school boards that would affect rights holders—were unconstitutional.
1984
The Supreme Court of Canada renders its first decision regarding minority language education under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that parents who received instruction in English in Canada have the right to send their children to English-language schools in Quebec.
1985
The Supreme Court of Canada declares all of Manitoba’s legislative documents to be invalid because they were adopted in English only
In order to avoid a legal vacuum, the Court grants the province a period during which the statutes will remain valid.
1986
Ontario’s High Court of Justice rules that publicly funded minority language educational facilities are warranted in Penetanguishene
Ontario’s High Court of Justice ruled that under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, rights holders are entitled to receive education in their language that is of equal quality to that which is provided to the majority.
1986
The Supreme Court of Canada adopts a restrictive approach to the way in which language rights are considered
The Court renders its decisions in the MacDonald, Société des acadiens du Nouveau-Brunswick and Bilodeau cases.
1988
In the Mercure and Paquette cases, the Supreme Court of Canada confirms bilingualism in Saskatchewan and Alberta
The Court recognizes that section 110 of the Northwest Territories Act still applies to those provinces.
1988
The Supreme Court of Canada renders its decision in the Ford case
Quebec invokes the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution to retain the exclusive use of French on outdoor signage.
1989
The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal rules in favour of the right to publicly funded French-language education in Cape Breton
The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal overturned two 1988 decisions by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, finding instead that the appellants have the right to have their children receive publicly funded primary and secondary education in the language of the minority.
1990
The Supreme Court of Canada ruling in the Mahe case recognizes the right of parents belonging to the linguistic minority to manage their own educational institutions, where numbers warrant
The Court stipulates that section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was “designed to correct, on a national scale, the progressive erosion of minority official language groups” and to “remedy past injustices.”
1991
The Supreme Court of Canada hears new questions regarding the scope of section 23 of the Manitoba Act, 1870
Following the 1985 Reference re Manitoba Language Rights, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that, pursuant to section 23 of the Manitoba Act, 1870, orders in council that are legislative in nature and certain documents incorporated by reference were to be in both official languages.
1993
The Supreme Court of Canada confirms the right to minority control over French-language facilities
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that section 23(3)(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms includes both the right to a distinct setting for minority language education and the right of the official language minority to manage and control their educational facilities.
1998
The Supreme Court of Canada renders its decision in the Reference re Secession of Quebec case
The decision provides new legal tools for protecting the rights of linguistic minorities.
1999
The Beaulac case marks a turning point in the interpretation of language rights
In this case, the Supreme Court of Canada recognizes that institutional bilingualism means “equal access to services of equal quality.”
2000
The Arsenault-Cameron case defines the extent of minority language education rights
In its decision, the Supreme Court of Canada maintains that section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms “is premised on the fact that substantive equality requires that official language minorities be treated differently, if necessary, according to their particular circumstances and needs, in order to provide them with a standard of education equivalent to that of the official language majority.”
2001
In the Charlebois case, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal declares that New Brunswick municipalities are subject to the language obligations set out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Further to this ruling, the New Brunswick government would undertake a review of the province’s Official Languages Act.
2001
The Court of Appeal for Ontario overturns the decision to close the Hôpital Montfort
In 1997, the Ontario Health Services Restructuring Commission had announced its intention to close the Montfort hospital, the only French-language university hospital in the entire province.
2003
The Supreme Court of Canada hands down its ruling in the Doucet-Boudreau case
It confirms that the courts must issue effective, responsive remedies that guarantee full and meaningful protection of the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
2004
In two cases (Raîche and Forum des maires de la péninsule acadienne), the courts rule on the scope of section 41 of the Official Languages Act
The Courts twice ruled that this section, which deals with support for the development of official language minority communities, does not impose any specific obligation on federal institutions.
2005
The Federal Court rules in favour of the use of both official languages by RCMP officers on the Trans-Canada Highway in Amherst, Nova Scotia
The Federal Court ruled that having French-speaking motorists use a police radio to communicate with a bilingual RCMP officer does not meet the language rights requirements stated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
2005
The Supreme Court of Canada favours continuity in language of education
The Supreme Court of Canada handed down its decision on whether the requirement that children receive the “major part” of their education in English in order to obtain a certificate of eligibility to attend English public school, pursuant to section 73(2) of Quebec’s Charter of the French Language, is consistent with minority language education rights protected under section 23(2) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
2007
The Federal Court of Appeal confirms that Air Canada violated Part IV of the Official Languages Act
The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against two Federal Court decisions regarding a violation of Part IV of the Official Languages Act and compensation awarded against Air Canada.
2008
The Supreme Court of Canada clarifies the RCMP’s language obligations
The Court rules that the RCMP must respect the constitutional rights that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives the citizens of New Brunswick.
2009
The Federal Court rules on whether VIA Rail Canada can impose bilingual requirements on positions where there are no obligations to provide service in both official languages
The Federal Court determined that positions involving duties related to safety and security objectively justify a bilingual requirement.
2009
The Supreme Court of Canada renders a decision on the constitutionality of the limits imposed by Quebec’s Charter of the French Language regarding access to minority language education in Quebec
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that it is unconstitutional to exclude the time spent in an unsubsidized English-language private school from the determination of what constitutes a “major part” of a child’s education for the purposes of establishing eligibility for public minority language education.
2009
The Supreme Court of Canada renders its decision in the Desrochers case
The ruling is a major victory for linguistic equality.
2010
The Federal Court determines whether patents and patent applications must be bilingual
The Federal Court ruled that the unilingual publication of patent information by the Commissioner of Patents constitutes a violation of Part VII of the Official Languages Act and ordered that patent abstracts be made available in both official languages.
2011
New Brunswick courts acquit an accused because of language rights violations by a peace officer
The New Brunswick Court of Appeal confirmed an acquittal by a lower court based on a peace officer’s failure to make an active offer of service in both official languages to the accused.
2013
The Quebec Court of Appeal rules on multiple language rights violations during criminal proceedings
The Quebec Court of Appeal found that there had been numerous language rights violations during joint criminal proceedings and ordered new trials.
2013
The Supreme Court of Canada is called upon to determine whether British Columbia Supreme Court judges have the discretion to allow documents written solely in French to be admitted into evidence in civil court proceedings
The Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, the Fédération des parents francophones de la Colombie-Britannique and a group of parents initiated proceedings pursuant to section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for permission to introduce into evidence documents written solely in French.
2013
French-speaking community mobilizes to help save CBEF Windsor radio station
In 2009, when CBC/Radio-Canada announced budget cuts affecting local programming at CBEF Windsor, a French-language radio station in southern Ontario, the Francophone community created SOS CBEF to speak out against the cuts and their potential impact on the community.
2014
The Supreme Court of Canada rules that damages may not be awarded if language rights are violated during international air travel
The Supreme Court of Canada held that the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air (known as the Montréal Convention) precludes awarding damages under section 77 of the Official Languages Act for violations of language rights that occurred during international travel by air.
2015
The Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories rules on the scope of the government’s discretion regarding admission to French-language schools
The Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories allowed the appeal and overturned the decision of the trial judge with regard to both the constitutionality of a ministerial directive affecting admission to French-language schools and the analysis of whether the numbers warranted expansion of École Boréale.
2015
The Federal Court examines the reasonableness of the measures taken by the Canada Revenue Agency in relation to language of work
The Federal Court determined that the right of members of the public to communicate with and receive services from the Canada Revenue Agency in their preferred official language takes precedence over the constitutional language-of-work rights of employees of that institution—in this case, Luc Tailleur.
2015
The Supreme Court of Canada rules on issues of bias and the role of the Yukon Francophone School Board in admissions
The Supreme Court of Canada first looked into the apprehension of bias on the part of the trial judge and found problems with the trial judge’s conduct.
The Court then determined the Yukon Francophone School Board’s role in setting admission criteria.
2015
The Supreme Court of Canada upholds the validity of Alberta’s unilingual statutes
The Supreme Court of Canada upheld the constitutionality of the Languages Act of 2000, which provides that Alberta laws may be enacted in English only.
2015
The Supreme Court of Canada determines how to establish equivalence between minority and majority language schools
The Supreme Court of Canada found that the minority language education offered at the Rose-des-Vents elementary school was not equivalent to the education offered in the majority language as is required under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.